New Beginnings
by Mr. Achak Wolf
Summary: Jack decides to visit some old friends on Easter and has some simple fun with them.


_New Beginnings_

 **Jack has some friends he'd like to catch up with on Easter.**

Jack looked over the fresh grass. It was lighted coated with morning dew and a slight frost from the remnants of another of his icy winters over the area. It was nothing new to see but he was particularly worried about something.

He worried because it was Easter once again and he thought about whether or not the children would come outside with the ground still mildly frozen. The weather wasn't terrible, but it was uncomfortable to be out here in this temperature and a few isolated piles of snow might make the children's parents rethink letting their kids go hunting for Bunny's decorated eggs.

They were well hidden and precisely placed in their designated spots and if the children were out long enough they might get sick in the slight chill in the air. Jack's presence wasn't adding to any solution he could think of at the time.

He thought back to the past and didn't want to see another disgruntled face of the Pooka to sneer at him for the blizzard that took place hear over the winter.

He wondered if he could help somehow.

First he thought of how to get rid of the snow, but then he quickly realized that he could only make things cold.

A picture crept its way into his head as he imagined himself frantically digging up snow and kicking it away with his staff.

He wasn't a tinkerer and certainly could think of no machine that could rid the cool from the air. He wondered if the cold would be too bad but doubts plagued his mind like a bride before a wedding who is wondered of all the things that will go wrong to spoil a near perfect day. There were too many factors that went into this scenario he eventually pushed it out of his mind. The irony was strong as Jack Frost attempted to think of ways he could get rid of the cold. Then another thought crossed his mind.

He thought of the possibility that the kids may actually enjoy the slight freeze of the grass and piles of snow. He had seen Jamie talk with friends about the snow being a plus in their Easter Egg hunt from last year. Maybe it'll be the same for this year as well.

Jack remembered how he got Jamie to believe in Bunny again and even himself and thought that he could use this to his advantage. Maybe he could place a few ice sheets in the grass and a few loose snow piles atop some tree branches would imitate a bucket of water on the door frame.

I figure if I wanted to help Bunny with Easter I could do what I do best: have fun.

I heard kids coming which did empty some worries from the mental basket I carried as I contemplated what I should do.

The kids themselves carries plastic bags and old picnic baskets for the egg hunt they enjoyed every year. Each child was racing ahead to the park where Bunny left his astonishing creations and packed them away in every nook and cranny about. There must be at least fifty or a hundred of them stowed away in this one area.

When I got a closer look at the kids I had recognized them from the winter prior to this spring when they began to believe in me thanks to an hour long snowball fight and the mentioning of my name.

There were about six to seven kids from what I could tell at this distance. One was a short yet plump figure with a basket that looked like it belonged on his grandmother's shelf. Another in the group was a fast and young girl no more than six years old that scampered about the park and looked for anything in plane sight that might be an egg.

The oldest boy, who was their leader, stepped out in sight and ordered them to halt like a warden or a guard in a prison to the fleeing inmates. His name was Marcus and he was thirteen going on fourteen. Marcus was a tough kid and despite the fact he was well-built for his age and even had a slew of friends at school he was given the occasional jab by the local yocals for still believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

I remember it was three months ago he first spoke my name and not long after did I reveal myself to be real to him. He was a spiteful person sometimes but deep down he just wanted to have a good time.

It made me sort of bitter to the hicks on the other edge of town for mocking him for believing in us but then again they believed in Guardians too at one point and eventually pushed it off as fantasy.

The surprising thing to me is that aside from me, none of the other Guardians ever approached this band of young ones. I knew they couldn't just go around revealing their identity to the children of the world but at least assuring the people who wholeheartedly believe in you letting know you actually exist through one encounter could hurt, could it?

Either way, their passion for the hunt was well displayed as Marcus had once told me that before my arrival they had quite the competition. Since they hunted hear every time and since the egg count was consistent they would make a betting pool and ante up 3 eggs a piece and whichever kid found the most would take the whole pot, giving them a bonus to their hard work.

Ever since I came along, the hunt this year would be different as their would be no betting pool but only the fun of the hunt since I would be joining them.

When the little girl, whose name was Grace, came dashing over to the patch of trees I was perched in, I leapt down behind her without and making a sound so that I could play my first trick.

Before I leapt down I left a fresh patch of snow up in the branches and with my staff I hovered slightly below and poked the snow loose covering the small child in bitter cold surprise.

Through a fit of laughter from behind me, the youth clawing her way out of snow, and a smirk on my face; I had revealed my presence to the children.

Grace popped her head of the snow like a prairie dog in the dirt and smiled at me. Before I could pick her up out the pile of snow she threw her little hand up out the snow and presented me with one of Bunny's treats for the them.

Well, she isn't just racing around after all.

"Jack!" she shouted. "You're here! Look I found one of the Easter Bunny's eggs." She handed it to me and let me examine it. I helped Bunny last Easter with decorating the eggs when Pitch returned so I had seen them before and even many years before then as well, but I still couldn't help but be impressed with the neatness and ornate beauty that each one carried. I'd have to give credit to the Cottontail with them.

I handed it back to her as she brushed some snow out of her face. I hope she wasn't too cold.

She started giggling and I gave a chuckle at how innocent she was. It was cute.

Suddenly, a snowball struck the back of my head. I threw my hand on the back of my head in response to the sudden jolt of snow that landed in my icy hair. I turned around to find young Lilly smirking at me.

She was a twelve year old girl who was about a year younger than Marcus with who she was best friends with. She was a small thing, no more than five feet tall but she was as tough as Marcus since she regularly journeyed around worth the rest of their friends and their somewhat amusing antics. Roughhousing was not an uncommon act amongst such antics.

"You just gonna stand there ya popsicle, or are ya gonna fire back?" she quipped. She reached down and picked up so more of the watery snow. She packed the snow into another snowball and chucked it towards me. Fortunately, I dodged this one.

When I turned my head back I saw Lilly with a snowball lodged in her face and some of the boys laughing at her. I froze of a sheet of ice under their feet and let some of them slip and fall on the faces. Grace started giggling again at the boy's 'misfortune' as I put.

Marcus had avoided snickering at his best friend like the rest of them did. He walked over to her and brushed the snow off her face and she gave a kind-hearted smile. She was a bit tomboyish in personality and appearance. She was short hair and somewhat muscular girl for her age and without a doubt she could easily beat any of her friends in a fistfight. But above the toughness of her mind and personality she was always very sweet around Marcus. I saw her lean on palm as it brushed over her cheek.

Marcus didn't want to admit it, but he shared a small little crush on the girl. I only knew from the slight gestures made in passing or in stance such as right now along with the fact that he mentioned it once to me in conversation about how his friends had tried to flood skunks out of their tunnels for fun.

I had a crush of my own, but that was a secret for only me. A little tired of the small lovey-dovey act Marcus was putting on, I made snowball and chucked it at the back of his head.

It landed and exploded like a bomb. He was a bit thrown off by it, but Lilly caught the boy and smiled at me. Marcus looked back to me and seemed to hold back his own laughter and from what I could not tell.

I saw my little sister, Grace, climb up the tree Jack was perched in with her basket full of snow. Once perched up she drop it all over the smug bastard's head.

Lilly laughed and so did I. I couldn't help it when I saw him thrashing around like Grace did when he pulled the same trick on her.

As he spit snow out of his mouth and wiped off his face he tried his best at a measly retort. "Clever aren't kid," he said to Grace, "using diversion tactics at your age; I'm sure you'll grow up to be a five star general."

"Sure Jack, and you can Master Sergeant Frostbite reporting for duty." said Lilly.

"How are you Jack." I asked.

"I was fine when it was me doing the tricks. How about you clowns? What mischief have you all been up to?" he replied as he wiped some snow from his face away.

Grace jumped down from the tree and landed on Jack's shoulders and almost him flat on his face; fortunately, he retained his balance caught my baby sister and seemed to piggyback her on his shoulders. Eventually he just carried her like a father carrying his child in a crowd.

"Well, we were in the middle of an Easter egg hunt." said Lilly.

"Yeah and I'm winning." said Grace as she confidently pulled an egg out from her basket.

"I suppose that might warrant that we ought to join in, Lilly. What about you boys?" I asked the rest of my friends.

"Yeah, but we ought to have partners so we can search faster. Would save me the trouble of snatchin' them eggs from your fingers, Marcus." said Lucas, one of my other friends, with an impatient undertone.

Lucas was the brat amongst us, as he being a spoiled ten year old, and wouldn't give me headaches till the end of time for very long if it weren't for the fact he was Lilly's little brother. He was a tag-a-long more or less and truly as long as he didn't spoil our fun, I could care less if he came with us.

"That doesn't sound too bad of an idea Lucas. Who do you want to be your partner?" I asked with a devious smile.

I could've sworn he almost blushed, but he turned his away before I could be sure. He was embarrassed because we all knew that like me, we each had a crush of our own. Mine was for Lilly but his was for Isabelle, an eleven year old girl, whom he sort've stalked in that cutesy young love sorta romance. Looking at her dreamily in class, trying to figure out what she like and didn't, constantly bugging her if she had a boyfriend and pulling off as much of a suave persona as possible. He was like Gatsby without the wealth or the charm. The ego and the determination was still there though.

"Why don't we let the older kids chose since you'd all probably pick a burning bag of dog crap over some certain individuals here." said Lilly being an angel of clemency upon her kid brother. When she stated 'older kids' she meant herself and I. We both knew who wouldn't start a riot or nuclear disaster among us so we would assign the other five kids in our little squad.

Grace clutched her hands together around my neck while I held her safely and steadily on my shoulders as we listened to chief give his speech of the rules of this new arrangement.

"You can only carry one basket. You can't fight over the eggs. It's a first come first serve basis. Their will only be two to a team and no alliances. Lucas, you and Isabelle are a team. Chuck and Mike, you're a team. Lilly-"

He looked like he was going to say that he and Lilly were a team, but he choked and drifted the question to his sister. "Uh… Grace who do you want to be on your team?" Lilly wasn't a 'nice girl' and she knew how badly Marcus wanted to be her partner. Truth is that she also wanted to be his partner; however she wanted to see how far he could take his boldness. Unfortunately, he was like a knight with a massive shield, but a rusted sword.

"Yeah Grace, do you want little ole me or slick over here." she quipped with a face that said 'checkmate'. This wasn't just a game any more, this was the match of a lifetime.

The answer shocked all three of us.

Given the choice between a drink of sweet, red wine on the cool, spring day in the rolling hills and indigo skies of the state of Wyoming, a strong brew of coffee in the morning of a bustling urban jungle of concrete and cable cars of 1920's San Francisco; she chose the third option, a bitter, caustic cocktail of arsenic and battery acid.

"I want Jack to be my partner." I knew how much the little one adored me, but I would think she would want to be with one of her friends or her brother. Then again, with Grace being a some-what protégé in my mischievous ways and with her childish tactics. It could hurt to see how we could spice up this little game.

"You sure, pipsqueak? I mean Jack is more amusing than competitive. No offense but in this game; he's about as useful as a rubber beak on a woodpecker." said Lilly.

I would've gone up and down the hills and streets protesting with a mass of followers about such an outrageous claim if it had not been for two things. One: She's right about me making this more about tricks or fun than being a competitive game. Two: I don't have a swarm of followers on standby and I can't be heard by anyway else anyway.

"I'm sure. Jack is the fastest and the smartest. He'll know where the Easter Bunny's eggs are." She wasn't wrong. I definitely was wiser than them with my age and was able to fly around giving us the eagle's view of the area. And come to think of it, the rest of what she said was also without a doubt was true.

I guess that would mean Lilly and Marcus would have to be partners.

I grinned at them trying to hide my laughter. I'm sure if either of them spit out what they were really thinking; it would ring along the lines of _boyfriend_ or _girlfriend._ I believe reality would prefer sweethearts, or lovebirds. Well lovebirds that occasionally poke at each other's eye.

"I can't deny the request from a humble and loyal companion such as Grace now could I." I stated proudly as a politician and as sarcastically as Garfield. Grace giggled on my shoulders and knew damn well what I meant by that.

"I guess it's you too rascals then huh?" said Lucas who was seen standing beside Isabelle for obvious reasons.

Marcus and Lilly both kept their embarrassment sealed up like Fort Knox as they were both too worried of looking like swans in a dance of love which would shed them of them Spartan personas. It did eat at them however. They both couldn't help but give a soft but quick smile at the other. Whatever passion the other had for their crush was quickly discarded and locked away for the time being.

"Yeah, we'll be partners and we'll be sure to enjoy all the spoils in our victory kiddies." said Marcus.

"You may have Frostbite with you Grace, but you better hope he's got some good eyes to scavenge the eggs this year round." said Lilly.

Good to see they had their take-no-crap attitudes back.

"Alright, now that we have teams, we begin NOW!" yelled Lilly

Everyone suddenly flew in every direction like bullets hailing across trenches of France in WW1. Lucas and Isabelle fled northward towards a group of picnic tables and maple trees. Chuck and Mike ran in opposite directions and fled East and West with them vanishing quickly into the fresh shrubs and leaving only the fading sound of the remaining leaves of the fall from mere months ago. With South being the only direction not taken, Marcus took Lilly's hand and finally let a brick in his wall fall as he showed a nervous smile and a tint of a blush on each cheek and ran with her into the abyss of forest oaks and maple trees that could lead to the playground nearby.

"Come on Jack, we need to catch up. They're gonna get them all before we even get one!" she panicked and egged me on by tugging at my hoodie.

"Alright, but before we go," I let her down and grabbed one of her hands. I picked up my staff that I dropped when she leaped on me and we floated in then rocketed into the sky.

I heard cry, a yell, and laughter as we went up and I had no idea which order they came in as I was only focused on getting in the air and keeping this post-toddler from slipping from my grasp.

I figured if they stormed every direction all we could do was go up. We had the bird's eye view and with my ability to fly fast we surely could spot a couple of bright eggs in a murky grass.

We flew over the trees and came upon small pond with a few benches and trash cans lined along a bike trail. Grace figured it would be an ideal spot to hunt and after a quick glance I saw a few striated balls of color and could only figure they were Bunny's gift to the kids.

We landed and Grace let go of my hand and she scrambled around immediately looking for the eggs. She quickly grabbed up four that were in plain sight of the five year old and the rest she scrounged up after a good five minutes of looking under the benches along the trail and even in a nearby ditch. All in all she had acquired about eleven eggs.

I knew their had to be more and so did she so she grabbed my hand and again and after so eager encouragement we were once again in the air and flew threw the nearby forest.

I had flown around like this for hundreds of years, but not with the burden of a giggling child in my hands which left me running into the branches of the trees more than one time.

As we flew threw we happened to spot the Chuck and Mike tangled up in the bushes they charged through, but they did have a basket filled with at least a dozen eggs which meant we had to start moving.

We even flew past Lucas and Isabelle and we painfully trying not to embarrass each other. Lucas held their baskets while Isabelle looked around and brought back the eggs. From what I saw, Lucas was sweaty and red as beer-gutted, frat boy that devoured a bunch of jalapenos for their induction into the confederation of masculinity. He kept whatever cool he had locked up so that it would sweat away or be shown by his clear by his blushing cheeks.

Isabelle came back with about six eggs in her hands and put them in their baskets. She peered at his face and smiled at him. He reciprocate and let his accumulation of fear evaporate into a new found confidence at the kind gesture. Lucas gave her the basket for her and took her free hand and guided her away from our current path.

We continued onward until came across the playground in this area. Swings and see-saws were paired on the gravel-padded ground with slides and monkey bars for kids with hyperactivity such as the ones on my shoulders to enjoy.

I let Grace down and we both rushed about trying to find as many of the eggs as we could. Grace checked the swings and slides and I bounced about and spotted at least a dozen. I picked up as many as I could and stuffed them into the pocket of my hoodie. She came back to me with eight more eggs added to the basket. There was little room left in her basket as we now had total of thirty-one eggs between us which definitely put us in the lead.

During the whole hunt it didn't come across me, but I thought about how easy it had been for us to amass this many eggs in such a short time. The other kids had been going here for years and certainly had more experience than me with this game.

Either Lady Luck was in our favor or Bunny was getting rusty or too sloppy at his job.

Then I thought of another thing. Bunny knew where I would be today. I had told him as assurance that I wouldn't meddle too much in his duty to protect the children given that he won't talk about some secrets I let slip during an argument about my emotions towards Tooth.

I had told him about the children so I could show my honesty and even showed him a little bracelet that Grace had given me as proof of my story.

He seemed to buy it , but wouldn't stay off his guard so easily. He told me that once he was done he'd be keeping an eye out for any tricks that I might play. I wondered if he left these eggs hidden so poorly on purpose. It could be just a mistake but when he's been doing this for hundreds of years then I wouldn't think it would be likely.

I was ripped from my contemplation when a tunnel opened up underneath Grace and dragged her into the Earth.

The hole quickly closed up before I could grab her and I was left alone. I was unfortunately proven right as Bunny had been watching us.

It wasn't long before a tunnel opened up underneath me and sunk me into the earth. I was dragged along the path of dirt and rocks that were coating my face every second as a fell through. The labyrinth eventually came to an end as I ended up being thrown into the air from beneath the layer of soil covering the earth.

My body, like a worn-out ragdoll, spun about and landed in one of the many maples populating these grounds. I wasn't hurt as I had taken worse blows from Grace than that.

Speaking of which, I saw her at Bunny's side holding her basket of eggs, smiling at me all the while Bunny laughed at my unusual position in the tree.

"Now ya see there, ya little ankle biter, is Jack Frost playing his best impression at an icicle." he said while pointing at me like some over dramatic detective finding his suspect in a group of friends.

Grace had never seen Bunny before but knew who this obviously large bunny was not the garden variety rabbit or a sarcastic, anthropomorphic cartoon character with a new york accent.

"Why'd you throw Jack up there Easter Bunny?" the little girl asked.

"Why? Well, aside from the fact that he started a blizzard on Easter some years back, or the time he froze my Warren into a block of ice, or the countless other times he's frozen the oogies I left for ya little ones; I just thought it would be nice to give my old mate here a warm welcome to spring."

"You're a real comedian aren't you Bunny?" I asked sarcastically.

"Only when I have to be Snowflake."

Bunny picked up Grace and held her in his paws like a tiny baby. She kindly accepted the gesture and got comfortable. I thought they were going to enter back into Bunny's tunnels, but instead they came over to the maple tree I was still tangled in and he kicked the tree. I fell and hit the wet grass below. My staff fell out soon after an landed at my side.

"There ya go Snowflake."

"Thanks Cottontail."

I grabbed my staff and stood up facing the furball and little princess. She seemed snug in his arms, but I would expect that hyperactive girl to fall asleep there.

She once told me how her droopy-eyed parents would stick her in a bed that was a soft as meadow made of silk and sunk like quicksand with her weight. They'd cover her up in a grand mountain of blankets that looked Everest in the face that said "I coming for you" while leaving her with a brigade of her royal guard that rested at her head. They were loyal guardians of fur and cuddliness that could make a 1975 KISS concert look like a trip to a lullabye in one's mind. Despite these guns of slumber aimed at her and soft ammunition of warmth and love being fired upon her, she would never lay down her eyelids and sign the treaty of hibernation and surrender to the night. There was only one achilles' heel to this knight of caffeinated vigor. Sandman's dreamsand was her Hiroshima and Nagasaki that could lay waste to her conscious mind. She would drift to sleep like logs down a calm river and into an ocean of imagination.

I was sure of our lead over the others, but I wanted to know how many eggs Bunny left behind so that I could be as sure as a gravedigger checking to keep the corpse in the right coffin.

"Hey, Bunny! How many 'uglies' did you stow away out in this forest anyway?"

He snarked at that remark and replied, "I hid a hundred and two to be exact, Snowflake."

At least now I could be sure be we were likely going to win this game and when we did, we present ourselves with dignity, style, and modesty, or some botched variation thereof.

My suspicions were at least answered and now I could focus on other matters such as the children. Which led me to think of Marcus and Lilly.

Grace and I hadn't flown over them while we searched for this location. I didn't quite know exactly where they were; however, with Cottontail around, I can use two more senses in acquiring their location.

I wanted to know where they were because now with the lead and the exact number of eggs he left behind for them known, we were going to win out-right which left me some time to pull some strings and have a little fun with the rest of the teams.

Of course I was going to eventually because I have a reputation to keep. My reputation as a jokester must be as solid as plateau or risk it becoming a drizzling puddle of syrup to these kids.

Bunny left a treat for these kids and they made competition out of it. These two factors of x and y could be plugged into the equation formulating in my mind as to how I fool around with each other these teams they've formed.

For Chuck and Mike; I could exploit there not so trusting nature and turn them from thick as thieves to thin as tissue paper.

Lucas and Isabelle would be hard nut to crack because I knew them least of all the other kids but knowing Lucas' shy yet egotistical nature and his sappy yet sweet affection for her. I'm sure that I might be able yank a trick or two out of these old sleeves.

The toughest to deal with would be Marcus and Lilly because they knew me best next to Grace, and wouldn't easily stoop to the level of a three year old's temper tantrum after losing a popsicle. I would have to be far more elaborate with them.

I also knew that I wouldn't be going alone because with the five-year old Caesar on my back and after a few pitiful begging moments would have old Cottontail at my side. Besides, I'm sure that he'd want to be on the giving end instead of the receiving of my benign pranks.

After watching Jack and the Easter Bunny replace all the eggs with duds and fakes and seeing Chucky and Mikey whine about it at each other, I began thinking of how I should shroud Jack in glory. Maybe with rose petals and masses of nonexistent people bowing before his intellect.

He let the boys grabs up so many frozen replicas of the eggs that his fingers were blue as the fur on Cookie Monster's head. It was funny seeing them squabble over each other as Jack swiped their real ones and replace them with more fakes.

Lucas and Isabelle ran threw a gauntlet of traps and sneak attacks by Jack like soldiers running through the jungles of vietnam who avoided a hail of bullets. After they managed to escape they were covered from head to toe in cold snow.

They only targets we had left were big brother and Lilly who still were cowering away in the woods somewhere looking for eggs, at least that's what I thought they were up to. I could just see Mark slobbering all over here like some dog with a cattle bone in its mouth.

Jack, and the Bunny were talking about how they might weasel a few pranks in on them. I just watched from a tree, holding my basket and drawing funny pictures in the snow with a stick while I waited on them to formulate a plan.

"How many we got left on your hit list Snowflake?" Bunny asked while twirling one of his boomerang around.

"We've got the soldiers, now we need the generals. We've gotta find the turtledoves in the forest still." I replied.

"Alright, what have you got planned?"

"I thought it through and decided that instead of shoving snow down Marcus' coat or landing them in a pile of snow I could take advantage of their little affection for each other."

"What does that mean? Are ya gonna freeze their lips together or something childish like that?"

"Not quite Cottontail. And my jokes are only childish when their aimed at kids."

"Not in my mind Snowflake. After all, you've given me no end until this Easter. Which makes me relieved I could get you to stop buggin' me for once like some wild dingo."

"This time Cottontail, this time."

"So what is the plan for real this time?"

"I feel that a few seemingly heroic acts by Marcus would surely distract Lilly long enough to give them a special version of the fake eggs we've been hiding."

"Sounds like a plan, but how do we find 'em?"

"You're a giant rabbit, just smell them out."

"I've never even met them before. I don't even know what they look like."

"You've have to work on that. Especially with other children."

"Why not as the tyke if she knows where the lovebirds are."

At the mention of this option, I turned away from him and jump over to Grace who was busy drawing me freezing her bullies feet to the ground. I asked her where Marcus and Lilly might be and she told me that the only place they would be is the old salt mine two miles away as is it was a favorite place for them to play hide and seek as kids.

I told Bunny their most likely location as I carried Grace once again on my shoulders. Once aware he vanished in the earth and took his tunnels to the entrance of the mines.

I flew with Grace to the mines as she guided me to their location.

Once we landed I saw Bunny waiting impatiently waiting for us. He told us that he could he footsteps and voices coming from inside the labyrinth. This means that either a sad clown was trying to tie his shoes inside or it was the turtledoves.

Fortunately it was the latter.

"Hey Jack, I think I heard them anklebitters rumbling around down there." said Bunny

"We'd better flood those tunnels before we lose them again.

We ran into the dark tunnel. We stepped through wet puddles left over from residue of the damp walls. Stalactites hung from the walls and served as decent ways of becoming pirates at a young age.

The sounds of laughter from before had changed into a calmer whisper making believe this cave was haunted by something other than a winter spirit and a five year old.

Not long after we set foot in the cave and a little bit of pushing through the underground maze we came across a chamber. It looked like an empty aquifer that had been drained out long ago.

With more space we spread out in the search for the two. Suddenly the whispers stopped and left with an echo of gasp.

I turned my head to the source and after hopping down about 10 ft from an overhang and saw within a little stowed away pocket of the chamber was frozen at the sight of Marcus kissing Lilly who was against the wall not giving up any of the passion he put into his affection.

He held her cheek and her hand as she held the back of his head, gripping his soft hair and enjoying every second of what she was doing.

I wasn't about to interrupt as I was only jealous that the bastard accomplished romance in 13 years of life while I'd never even been given a peck on the cheek in my life which spanned centuries.

I did however have a reputation to keep up so I thought quickly of what I might do. I thought back to what Bunny had said but figured that was a bit too cruel so would try a variant of freezing.

With my staff I touched the ground and saw a trail frost slither along the ground. It quickly crept up Marcus's feet and froze his in place. He pulled away from Lilly but not in time before he was frozen in place still holding Lilly as she was soon trapped by the frost.

"Jack!" Lilly yelled into the darkness I was tucked away in.

Grace had been covering her eyes the whole time and simply keeping herself silent so as to avoid becoming a part of the situation.

I came out into the light and walked over to the icicle and took a good look at this fine work of art. I wasn't about to face the wrath of the twelve year old so I quickly apart the ice and let them free.

"Nice to know you to have gotten a budding romance started."

"Shut up Jack!" Lilly yelled while rushing to tackle me.

I knew how much she could rough up other boys at her school so I wasn't about to stick on the ground and face a flurry of punches. My body was thrown into the air for a second time that day as I jumped up to avoid her and suddenly be tackled from behind by Bunny who had come running out of another tunnel behind me.

It was out of accident as he was still searching for them and ran here at the sound of Lilly screaming at me probably thinking I was trouble.

We collided with a smack and were left holding our heads on the ground. Grace was fortunately not with me as this wreckage took place. Instead she came up to me and I was showered with her cries of worry, but eased her soon enough as I had taken worse blows than that in my long life.

Lilly and Marcus; however, were laughing at our misfortune of miscommunication.

I don't blame them for the trick I pulled on them. Who wouldn't be angered at someone trying to screw up their first kiss.

Marcus soon came over and helped me up with Lilly helping the disgruntled Pooka beside me.

"Next time don't come flinging out of nowhere like that Cottontail."

"Ugh… don't get in my way next time… Snowflake."

Bunny hobbled over to me and tried his best through blurry eyes to give a light swing but missed like a car through a red light.

Marcus and Lilly grabbed him and kept him up as Grace was at my side being vigilant protector that she was.

After that incident, we went out of the mine and regrouped with the rest of the kids. They all jumped for joy when they got to see Bunny for the first time. He was in mood to play around anymore but couldn't pass up the opportunity to be with the children. He had to work most of the year and really wanted to know how to interact with them since he was so beloved by them.

We had a few snowball fights and hide and seek. It was just fun for him and the children to be childish and wild. Most of the time was riddled with school or sports or family so just being kids was a cherished time for them.

Grace hadn't forgotten in all our fun however who won the competition as she wanted to boast quite proudly how she a small tyke managed to outmatch all of them. Also wanting to prove that I wasn't kryptonite to these games as well was a good plus.

My feeling being with these kids is a lot like the seasons changing around me. My high time of winter is always hear as I can shift to another part of the world and spread the plague of snow days and icy roads. I would have to move on from my friends one day as they would grow up and I would not.

That thought was not a cherished feeling but a grim one. It was always a constant reminder as to why I'm a Guardian. I'm not meant to be just a protector of children but also a mentor in a way. Even if they never see me I'll leave a piece of my antics in their memories forever. Some may forget me and pass it off as imagination, but those like Jamie, or Grace, and even Marcus I know will never forget me. I know why Bunny gets angry at me whenever I fool around with his work on Easter. It's just because I'm a nuisance, but a lesson I learned the hard way from my first Easter actually helping him.

I hurt his chances of having the children continue to believe in him. I know that now that I'm a Guardian. The winter of '68 is long gone, and with endless time ahead of me, I've got more and more chances on the road of memory lane to make some pit stops and fix some of the mistakes I've made.

I hope that I'll always understand that no matter how many kids may stop believing in me, they'll never forget the fun times we had, even if I was just a guy who threw a snowball at the back of their head.


End file.
